10 Ways To Get Rid Of Mice: Safely and Poison-free

If mice detect a small shelter and even the tiniest food source in your home, you will have invasion! They can reproduce almost all the time, so in a matter of weeks, the number of mice will be increased more than 10 times! The first thing you want to know about how to get rid of mice and you must react immediately, due to the aforementioned reason.

Poisons and toxins are effective, but there are some issues with them. First of all, if you have pets, they must be not used! The same goes, if you have small children, but you probably already know that. Now you will learn how to get rid of mice naturally without risks.

1. Keep them away from your home

The best way to get rid of mice is not to allow them to come into your home. There are a few tips and tricks you must remember. In addition, you can use this method combined with any of others from the list, just in case you want to be sure mice don’t come in your home again and again.

Make sure your food is always outside a reach and sealed in containers. If you have animals or pets, their food must not be in open bags! Mice like this type of treat and they will probably eat all of the food for your pet before you even notice. This also applies to all types of food which are bought in larger amounts.

Before everything else, you also may want to hire a professional exterminator to secure your home. If you still want to do it all by yourself, make sure to seal all the cracks and eliminate any hole or damages where mice can get into your home. Of course, this isn’t a method to eliminate mice, but it is the answer to the how to keep mice away question and it works perfectly with other methods from the list.

2. Mousetraps- The oldest and the easiest way

Your fathers and grandfathers have been using mousetraps since the age of time. It is the oldest and one of the easiest methods to eliminate mice from your home. The best mouse trap actually depends on your personal requirements.

You can choose between electric ones, which are treated as quick and painless or choose traditional ones, made from steel, and plastic. As such, they can last for decades, even when used every day. The third type of mousetraps is treated as humane. They won’t kill a mouse, they will trap it only. Obviously, these traps come with a small cage. Regardless on which type you choose, you won’t have to touch a mouse after it is trapped.

There are a few things you should be aware of. The first one is to place the traps close to the place where mice live. Ideally, you will put them 1 meter from the nest. Try to remember that you want to catch and eliminate all the mice as soon as possible, so one trap is never enough. Use 6 or more to catch them in the first few days.

Check all the traps 2 times per day or even more frequently in order to get the best results. Top tip: If you want to place mousetraps in a room, hide them behind a furniture. Mice will check the new item if they feel safer.

3. Essential oils- Try peppermint essential oil first

Best way to get rid of mice and keep them away as long as you want is using essential oils, more specifically, peppermint oil. All you will have to do is to add a few drops on several cotton balls and place them strategically around your home. That’s it. Now you can see how simple this method actually is. Of course, you can use other essential oils, but the one we mentioned is the most effective.

Don’t forget to replace the cotton balls or to add essential oil two times per week. It is possible to repeat the procedure once per week, but still more frequently is a much better choice.

So, how this method actually works? Mice have a sense of smell far more sensitive than we do. In essence, odors, and aromas we find appealing they find overwhelming and too strong. For you, a cotton ball paired with peppermint essential oil is a pleasant and relaxing odor, but for mice, it is painful and impossible to withstand. Basically, you will target their sense of smell, but because they use it the most, they will be struck more than you can imagine.

4. Pepper spray just for mice- Make sure to protect yourself while using it

Here we have another natural way to keep all mice from your home. Not only they will run away as soon as you apply this method, but new ones won’t come as long as you use it. As the name suggests, you will need hot peppers. In a matter of fact, you will need Habanero and cayenne peppers. Habanero has up to 350.000 units on the Scoville rating, while cayenne has 50.000. For comparison only, jalapeno has 5.000 units!

In order to make the spray, you will need ½ cup of peppers (per each) and a gallon of water. Boil the water and blend the peppers. Mix all together, and leave it for 24 hours. Use a cheesecloth to remove large pieces and pour it in a spray bottle. Once again, your safety is important, so make sure to wear gloves and goggles while making and using the solution. Getting rid of mice using this method is so affordable that we can even say it is completely free.

How does it work? Hot smell is useful when it is minor and in smaller amounts, but these peppers are so hot that they will make your eyes cry. Because mice are just a few inches tall, the effect on them is far more severe. They won’t be able to see and they will experience pain. All of this means that they cannot stand this solution and they cannot live in an area where it is used frequently.

5. Clove essential oil

Due to unknown reason, clove essential oil works perfectly against mice. They hate the odor and they cannot withstand it. Despite the fact this oil is used in baking and should actually attract mice, they cannot withstand it and they will run away as soon as they sense it.

Some experts believe that this essential oil in larger amounts damages the odor-sensitive cells in the nose of mice. Others believe that it irritates their eyes. In any case, the method is effective and easy. Using them is the same as with the peppermint oil. Just apply it on the cotton balls and place them strategically around your home.

6. Using dryer sheets

If you want to know how to get rid of mice in a large area, using dryer sheets is a great answer. It may sound contradictory and even silly, but this actually works. People use this method in barns and outside because it is very effective on a larger scale. Others use it on paths which mice use to penetrate a home. In other words, this method is generally simple and useful, but there is something you must be aware of.

All you must do is spread dryer sheets in a place which is interesting to mice and which is used by them to penetrate a home. Tie the edges so the sheets don’t get loose and you are done. So simple and so effective. Don’t forget to replace them at least once per month. If you don’t, mice will use sheets for their nests, which is something you don’t want to happen!

There is no science behind this. In a matter of fact, an explanation is in the odor. We mentioned that mice have a superb sense of smell, so they will find this type of odor impossible to withstand.

7. Place aluminum foil on the floor

As funny as it sounds, aluminum foil can be treated as a mouse repellent. There are millions of people who have been using this technique for years and all of them claim it works. Have you ever hear ‘’quiet as a mouse’’? Probably you have. Mice don’t like walking over the aluminum foil because it makes sounds. They cannot eat it either, so they will keep away from it.

Besides the fact you can place the aluminum foil over the floor, you can also stuff it in the holes mice use. If they don’t have another way to get out, they will stay in there forever, but in most situations, they will find a way out. Interesting: Place cheese and other treats all over the aluminum foil and you will see that mice won’t even touch it.

8. Copper wire mesh- Ideal for sealing the cracks

Steel wool was treated as a powerful method to repel mice. Although it actually works. Mice found a way to solve this issue. They simply pull it out and continue with their path. Luckily for you, copper wool or even better, copper wire mesh is an upgraded alternative. Copper won’t rust nor will it deteriorate over time, so this is a permanent solution.

The only way you can use this method is by stuffing the copper wool into cracks in your home, which are used by mice. There is a simple technique you can use. In essence, you will have to use a stick to push the wool deep into the cracks. Add several layers, just in case. After that, use pepper spray we have mentioned earlier and you are done. Addition: This is a permanent solution.

9. Cat litter trays

Perhaps this way sounds weird and awful, but it really works. It is suitable for all of you who already suffer from mice invasion and for those who want to prevent it. Used litter trays of a cat will release a unique smell which all mice know very well. They won’t have another alternative than to move out from the house and to run for their lives.

Obviously, it is a much better to get a cat or cats, but today’s cats are lazy and they find catching mice too difficult. Even if you have a cat like this, make sure you use its litter tray. She can be as lazy as she wants, but mice will still be repelled from your home.
Sadly, this method cannot be used in your living room or bedrooms, but it is superb for usages in garages, cellars, and attics. You won’t sense the smell, but mice will.

10. Ultrasonic repellents

It definitely isn’t a natural mouse repellent but it is even better. Ultrasonic repellant devices work by transmitting sounds on frequencies people cannot hear, but mice can. The sound is annoying for them, so they will want to go far away from it. There are two types of the devices we just mentioned. Sonic ones, which are less effective and ultra-sonic ones which are just right.

You may be able to hear sonic devices, but ultrasonic will emit high-frequency sounds which cannot be heard by human ears. Use a few of these devices and you won’t have mice problem anymore. The best part is the price of these devices and the fact that they also work against roaches and other pests.

Overall

Do you want to know how to get rid of mice? Simply use one or more of the methods we mentioned above and your mice problem will be over once and for all. This definitely isn’t something you should do, it is something you must use as soon as possible. Mice transmit a variety of diseases and infections, including plague and Hantavirus. For children, they are even more dangerous than for adults, therefore make sure there is no a single mouse in your home!